Inserting tool for tangless inserts



Dec. 11, 1945. EM. LANG INSER'IING TOOL FOR TANGLESS INSERTS Filed Sept.25, 1944 l N VEN TOR.

:EUGENE M. LANG BY Ma 5". m

Patented Dec. 11, 1945 um'nzo STATE s PATENT" OFFICE INSEKTING TOOL FORTANGLESS INSERTS Eugene M. Lang, New York, N. Y., assignor to AircraftScrew Products Company, Inc., Long Island City, N. Y., a corporation ofNew York.

Application September 23, 1944, Serial No. 555,469 H g 6 Claims.

.The invention relates to a tool for contracting wire coils such as forinstance serve a thread inserts for-tapped holes. The tool according tothe invention is, in particular, intended for usewith wire coilsprovided with a recess in the inner portion of one of the coil ends e.g, to coils of the In certain instances of the application of wire coilsto tappedholes it is necessary to contract the coil priorto insertingit, and to keep the coil "contracted during the insertion. A tool forsuch purpose in connection with coils provided with a diametrical tang'of one end convolution is described in U. S. Patent2,316,231 to Evansof April 13, 1943. It is another object of the presentinvention tocombine certain features of such tool with new means to render the tooluseful for application to tangless coils with a recessed endconvolution.

Further objects and details of the invention will beappar'ent from thedescription given hereinafter and the accompanying drawing illustratingan embodiment thereof by way of example.

In the drawing: i M Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a coil of the typefor which the tool is destined;

* Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section of an embodiment of theinvention;

Fig. 3 is afront elevation thereof;

Fig. 4 is a side elevationof the tool in combina tion with a prewinderdevice shown in section.

mReferring now to the drawing, the tool accordin to the inventioncomprises a substantially rod-shaped element It with means such as agrip ll whereby a torque can be applied thereto. The forward end portionI! has a diameter according to the inner diameter a coil [3, to whichthe tool I is to be applied, will have when in its contracted state.That means the diameter of the portion 12 issomewh'at smaller than theinner coil diameter prior to the application of the tool. The portion itis longitudinally slotted at It so that two prongs l 5 and 16 are formedof suflicient resiliency to allow for compression of the prong endswithout undue resistance. It is of course possible and, depending on thesize of :the tool, it may evenxbe advisable to provide more slots thanshown so as to form a larger number of prongs of the desired resiliencyand yield. One of the pron s, i. e. prong l5 of Fig. 2, has a lateralpro- J'ection l'l near th free prong end. The projection is so shapedthat it will fit into arecess 18 in the inner portion of an endconvolutionof In order to facilitate the insertion of the tool andsimultaneously cause the compression of the prongs, the ends l9 and 20of the latter are tapered, and the taper of the prong I9 is preferablycontinued in the front face 2| of the projection l1. Thus, if the toolis pushed in axial direction into the coil, the prongs will be automatically compressed, until the projection H V springs into the recess18 when the projection has cleared the convolution 22 adjacent therecess. Should the projection H be out of registry with the recess 18,the coil-may be turned relatively to the tool or vice versa untilengagement is accomplished. when the tool is to be removed after theinsertion of the coil in a tapped hole, it is only necessary to pull thetool backward in axial direction whereupon co-action of the rear face 23of the projection I! with the convolution 22 will cause a compression ofthe prongs to. permit the withdrawal. For this purpose it is advisableto shape the rear flank 23 of the projection according to the innerflank of the coil convolution 22 or to taper it. It is also advisable tomake the projection l1 slightly longer than. the pitch of the coil inorder to prevent it from entering between two adjacent coil convolutionsduring th'e axial movement of the tool. However, if the depth of thehole into which the coil is to be inserted does not permit the use of atool appreciably projecting from the recessed coil end, a shorter lengthof the projection l1 maybe selected, Theonly-disadvantage in thateventwill be that the prongs will be repeatedly compressed and slightlyreleased during the insertion of the l8. For this purpose a stop collar24, is provided so as to freely shift on the portion' li-oi thetool inaxial direction, and a compression springhifi pert-ion of a coil 13.

is arranged between an abutment on portion 12 and collar 24 so that thelatter is located between the spring and the projection IT. The abutmentmay be integral with the tool body. However, in order to make the toolapplicable to coils of different lengths it is preferred to form theabutment as a second collar or ring 26 adjustable in axial directionand,to,provide it withimeans such as set screw 27 whereby the collar 26may be secured to the tool in an adjusted position. Now

in its application, the tool portion I2 may be pushed through the coilsofanthat the projection I1 is entirely in front of the recessed coilend while collar 24 bears against -theicthercoil end and spring 25 iscompressed. If,; ;th en,-=thetool is permitted to shift relativelyto-thecoil in axial direction, the spring 25 will! cause gtheweariface 23 ofthe projection I1 to contact the recessed coil end and engagement of theprojection and sine re es n be s m lishgd r r rning th toolrelatiyely-toathe ccil if such-turning; is neces- Q 125 tp cause.therparts to register. In orderto re correctropfiration pfftn tool, thespring oul d so selected and dimensioned, that ring is still slightlycompressed when the A d: coil are; in-the. engagedmozition of Fig. 1. 2.force,;hogweyer,shouldnot-be sufficient gli retract-the tcol bsyond thatposition inwhich the 11ear face of *the projection ,bears againstfiankrof the convolution 22. It will .beclear :iBh-at the s rin son he rad y a ius o this inurposeb s i t ns .snlla 1: am securinsi fin a nronepos tioa l i; v

The 6001 ,hs e be nre de r ed ma e :d eng ned for open on d or ;as partof a i h possibl t @Qmb e i thzct r to ls s crr t qe t e p wi e shown-miitan- Th r winde com s sw ain llyitubular bod tfifiiipne en pq tipn 3141is-1in 1ri r t eade a a or to r the mater shape, diameter and pitchtowhich the ,coil :13 isatozbe contracted. @[Eheportionfidadjarcenttheportionjl {has an inner diameteraccord- -.to theoutendiameterpf {the coil prior to its being-contracted, and portion 33is laterally rece sedatzsiilsothatia 091 may be-cha edinto :it. Theother .end portion 1 35 is provided with means imherebyiitican be heldstationary. 1s the tool is destined for 'hand operation .it may' bknurled as shown at :36, :or if it is P31117501. aimachjne toolthememberzfl may be part of or attachedto the stationary machinestructure. The inner diameter "of'the' portion :35 and the :outerdiameter of the-portion it!) of the toolidescribed-withreference to Fig.'2', and denoted ingeneral by 3'! in Fig. 4,

are such that the tool :31 can :be freely shifted and turned withinmember 30. Also, the collars ll-il'and"fit-trick! the spring .2- are sodimensioned that the tool 311 can be projected with'its pronged end-forward' of the member portion Bil at least a distance equal to thelength of the coil to which the-tool is to be applied. Onthe other hand,the tool 31 with the collars and the spring thereon, has, be retractableso as to clear the portion s3 sumciently to permit thech-arging-of thecoil into mer'n-ber 39. The tool 3 connection with the prewinder may bedesigned for hand operation, as herebefore described or it may beadapted for connection to a machine part which :is rotatableand-airially shiftable.

- in applying the combined tool the part a! is first retracted to clearthe portion 33 for the in- While the latter bears against the threadedportion 3|, the part 31 is to be pushed through the coil, and theprojection I! caused to engage the coil recess, as hereinbeforedescribed. When in this position the coil may be screwed through theprewinder threading 32 so as to be contracted.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many alterationsand modifications of the tool. described and illustratedv are;,possiblewithin the spirit and essence of theinven'tion which shall be limited,therefore, only by the scope of he appended claims.

I claim:

l. A tool of the type described for contracting a -wire coil, comprisinga rod-like member includa 'ferward gripping end substantially of adiameter according to the inner diameter to whichsaid coi-lis to becontracted, said forward end being longitudinally slitted so as to formresilient prongs, one of said prongs including, near its forwardend,alateral projection adapted to engage a ,recessin the inner side ofranend convolution of the .coil the :tool ,is intended .to contract-and thefree forward ends of said prongs being-slightly tapered on their'outsides somthat upon insertion of the tool into-said-coil-fromthenonrecessed end of the la-ttersaid pron-gs will be compressed, and-saidprojection-when haying passed the coil convolution adjacent the recessedcoil end may spring into said recess.

2. [A tool-' as claimed in claim 1, wherein the .rear end of said 3projection is shaped according -3to=theilank of the innerportion ofarconvolution nw ool as claimed in rclaim wherein rthe rear e d of saidp o ection is tap r d.

A. Atpol as claimed in claim '-1,:fu:1ther "comprising a compressionspring on :said slittedzm tion of said member and bearing with :its:rear end against an abutment thereof. and a sli-dable collarintermediate said spring and said projection andadapted 2150 "bearagainst :the .rnonsrelcessed coil e fd under the "action- -of saidspring.

5. A tool as claimed in claim :1, further zoomprising an axiallyadjustable collar onrs'aidrmemper, a nomnressionisprinsurroundmgsaidimemher and hearing-with :its rear end :against :said cllar. and a Second collar zfreely shiftable am said slitted memberportion and intermediate said spring and said projection;

6. -In a tool of the type described fora'contracting a wire coil and"including a rfirst' substantially tubular member adapted to receivetherein a coil to be contracted, the'combina'tion of a second memberrotatable and "axially shiftable in an axial 'directi'onzinteriorly "ofsaid-first member, said second "member including a forward .endsubstantially of a diameter according to the inner diameter to "whichsaid coil is to be contracted, said forward end being longitudinallyslitted so'as to form resilient prongs, one of said prongs including,near its forward and, alateral projection adapted-t0 en agea-i'ecess-inthe inner side of an end convolution of said coil, a compression spring.on said member and .bearing with its-rear end against an abutment:thereof, and a slidable collar i'intermediate said spring and saidprojection and adapted to :bear against the non-recessed coil end .underthe action of said spring, said coil and said collar :being'nf suchouter diameters as to pass through the inte ior of said first member.

